Galveston to Bring in Fall Season with Outdoor Festivals, Historic Ghost Tours

GALVESTON, Texas (August 18, 2015) – The fall season brings what many consider to be the best weather of the year on Galveston Island, and with great weather comes outdoor events and festivals! For the next few months, the island’s calendar will be filled with activities to entertain and spook – from the annual Galveston Island Wild Texas Shrimp Festival to historic ghost tours.

Galveston Island Wild Texas Shrimp Festival

Galveston Island is a seafood lover’s paradise all year round, but this September Yaga’s Entertainment Inc. will bring foodies a little taste of heaven at the Galveston Island Wild Texas Shrimp Festival to be held September 25-27. Featuring some of the best shrimp gumbo the Gulf Coast has to offer, this year’s festival features a seafood cook-off, gumbo tasting, Lil’ Shrimps Parade, live music, a children’s area and a strand merchant walkabout. For details, visit www.galvestonshrimpfestival.com.

Galveston Triathlon

On Sept. 27 Galveston will host a race for champions with the Galveston Triathlon. Competitors at this event will swim 1.5 kilometers in Offats Bayou and bike 40 kilometers through Galveston’s west end before making a 10K run through scenic Moody Gardens. For details, visit www.galvestontriathlon.com.

Historic Ghost Tours

The place of the deadliest storm in U.S. history, Galveston Island is a popular destination for “haunted” exploration. From a 104-year-old “haunted” hotel to Galveston’s storied harbor, cemeteries and Victorian mansions, there are numerous ghost tours to be explored throughout October. Both the historic Hotel Galvez and the Galveston Historical Foundation offer haunted history tours throughout the month. Enjoy spooks year-round with Dash Beardsley’s Ghost Tours of Galveston and Texas’ only year-round haunted house, Haunted Mayfield Manor. For details, visit www.galveston.com/calendarofevents.

Dash Beardsley’s “Wake the Dead Horror Paracon”

Get spooked at the second annual Wake the Dead Horror Paracon October 9 – 11, hosted by Galveston paranormal expert Dash Beardsley at the Galveston Island Convention Center. Celebrity guests, including Hocus Pocus star Kathy Najimy and American Horror Story’s Jennifer Lynn Warren will headline the event, which will include lectures, psychic readings and Q & A sessions. Costumes are encouraged! Visit www.galvestoncomiccon.com for details.

ARToberFEST

If you love art, then you don’t want to miss the 18th annual ARToberFEST to be held October 17-18 in downtown Galveston. This juried fine art festival will feature various artists, food and live music on Postoffice street amid Galveston’s Victorian architecture, art galleries and shops. Admission is $5 for adults with proceeds benefitting The Grand 1894 Opera House’s education and community outreach programs. For details, visit www.artoberfest.com.

Island Oktoberfest

Island Oktoberfest will “oompah” back to Galveston for its 34th year, celebrating German heritage with a full weekend of food, drinks, live performances, games and special activities. The festival will take place Oct. 23-24 at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Galveston and will feature an expanded entertainment lineup. Admission to Oktoberfest is free and attendees are encouraged to dress in traditional German costumes. For details, visit www.galvestonoktoberfest.com.

Lone Star Motorcycle Rally

This November, visitors to Galveston have a chance to experience the largest four-day biker rally in the country as the Lone Star Motorcycle Rally makes its way to the island Nov. 5-8. More than 500,000 motorcyclists will gather among hundreds of vendors in a celebration of the finest machines known to man. The rally will include several bike shows, live concerts and a variety of celebrity appearances. For details, visit www.lonestarrally.com.

Fall Performances at The Grand

For laughs, Broadway and musical fun this fall, The Grand 1894 Opera House is your one-stop entertainment showplace. Enjoy the wonderful new production of the Tim Rice-Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat Oct.2. On Oct. 7, see and hear a tribute to one of the greatest voices in American music history with Michael Feinstein: Sinatra Centennial Celebration. Marcus Luttrell’s Patriot Tour will come to the stage on Oct. 22. For a frightfully good time, make Halloween weekend reservations for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Oct. 30. For details, visit www.thegrand.com.

For a full list of events happening in Galveston this fall, visit www.galveston.com.

About Galveston Island

Galveston Island is a historic beach town located on the Gulf of Mexico just 50 miles from Houston. The island is best known as a vacation destination, offering 32 miles of beaches, a variety of family attractions, Texas’ premier cruise port and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country. For more information on Galveston Island visit www.galveston.com or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE.